Drone
Background Drones are the most common among the collaboration of races known as the Locust Horde, playing the role of standard infantry on the battlefield. They appear to have a muscular humanoid body and white skin due to their underground lifestyle. They are born and bred for combat, fearless even when outnumbered. It is believed that the Locust Berserkers are the female of this race. If this happens to be the case one has to wonder how drone/berzerker courtship is accomplished due to the tendency of any berserker to automatically rip absolutely anything within arms reach limb from limb and the way drones around Berserkers seem terrified of them. It is speculated that Drones breed by rape as Colonel Hoffman said that Berserkers are tied down and are then raped. Drones use the massive tunnel network under the planet's surface for troop movement and can quickly create portals almost anywhere on the surface called Emergence Holes, which they often use to surprise their enemies. *''Drones are the standard foot trooper for the Locust, with the characteristic use of numbers and fearless fighting, willingness to sacrifice themselves by the hundreds to kill a single Gear. they are often armed with Hammerbust rifles, Boltok pistols and sometimes Lancers. They also can be armed with Shotguns and grenades, called appropriately Grenadiers. Some are equipped with infared goggles and Sniper rifles which are, obviously, Snipers. Others are trained to use Troika Machine Guns and have special helmets that deflect enemy fire. Elite Drones are the Theron guards. Superior to average drones, they are armed with Torque Bows.'' Although tactically minded, fully capable of operating infantry weapons and generally making good use of whatever cover is available to them, most drones tend to exhibit rather low intelligence and it may be stupidity as well as lack of imagination, rather than bravery that keeps them driving forward into even the worst odds. they are also not very articulate, expressing almost everything they do (which isn't much) through single word statements and unspecific bellowing. Theron Guards and Grenadiers have somewhat different facial structures than normal drones, appearing to have longer teeth. Therons also tend to speak in a hissing manner totally different from the deep throated yelling of normal drones and Grenadiers. One can only speculate as to whether these are just differences in fashion, differences in rank or whether the two are slightly different organisms. Anatomy Drones have the same anatomy as humans with 2 eyes, 2 nostrils, 2 arms, 2 legs, a mouth full of teeth and a normal torso.Gears of War:Aspho Fields pp 249 They are extremely durable thanks to the rock like scales that cover the body which can be seen if you look very closely. After being chainsawed by a Gear, by looking closely the player can see mulitple organs and intestines. A ribcage is also visible. After decapitation, one can see the spine as well. Classes Drones are used in all theaters of the war and are versatile enough to fit into a variety of combat roles. Standard Drone Weapons *Hammerburst *Lancer Assault Rifle *Boltok Pistol *Longshot Sniper Rifle *Gnasher Shotgun Description These are the most common enemies encountered on the battlefield. They are known to use the Hammerburst weapon the most, occasionally using a Boltok Pistol or a captured Lancer Assault Rifle. They use cover often and usually keep a safe distance from their foes. If they do get close, however, they will not hesitate to ambush their foe. They are among the less intelligent of the Locust Horde, rarely seeking to flank the enemy or use sophisticated battle tactics. They rely on large numbers and the element of surprise through use of Emergence Holes to defeat their enemies. Appearances These Drones are everywhere. They are similar to the COGs, but they are different in their own way. They have pale scaly skin, and have sharp teeth. You will become very familiar with them as your continue throughout the campaign. Gunner Weapons *Hammerburst *Troika Heavy Machine Gun Description Gunners are most familiar with heavy weapons like Troika turrets. They are used when it is necessary to hold a position for an extended period of time or against massive assaults. The use of helmets to block snipers and the shield on the Troika turret make this unit hard to kill, although the limited movement of the turret makes this class susceptible to flanking maneuvers. Their helmets are also used occasionally by standard Drones. Appearances They first appear when Troikas are introduced in the Fish in a Barrel chapter of Act 1. They are seen everywhere else where there is a Troika as well. Their Troikas and helmets can be very frustrating in the earlier chapters, but there will be many ways to get revenge on them later on in the game (ex. Longshot and Torque Bow). Sniper Weapons *Longshot Sniper Rifle Description The Snipers are expert marksmen who use infrared goggles to help locate their enemies. They will always wield Longshot Sniper Rifles and if left unchecked can be very deadly. These units are often used to pin down enemies until they are attacked by other soldiers and in places that offer Sniper cover, such as urban environments and alleyways. The armor on this class is severely reduced in favor of mobility and marksmanship. Appearances They make their first appearances in the Tick Tick Boom chapter of Act 2, although the first one you can reap the weapon off of is in Lethal Dusk, Act 2 if you use a boomshot to kill the sniper their rifle might drop out the window. They are mainly seen later into the game, but obviously won't be as common as any of the other Drone classes. Pretty much like the Reavers, the snipers are introduced before we are actually able to fight against them. In Act 1 chapter, Knock Knock, a sniper manages to kill Anthony Carmine, a member of Delta Squad. Lambent Drones Lambent Drones are a special type of Drone that have been mutated because of excessive Imulsion exposure. They make their first appearance in Gears of War 2 exclusively in No Turning Back. They look the same as normal drones but they glow like Lambent Wretches and have a naked torso and head. They also seem to be at war with normal Locust as seen from their confrontations with them in the Nexus. In theory, Lambent Drones explode when they are killed, though this hasn't been witnessed. When one of them was killed by Augustus Cole in a cutscene, the Imulsion oozed out of the dead drone's body and slid away as if it was alive, before entering the body of a second Lambent Drone. Lambent Drones are never actually fought in Gears of War 2, and only appear in the distant background and in cutscenes. Trivia *In Gears of War 2, the Grappler drone and Cyclops drones wear different helmets. Cyclops will almost always be wielding a Lancer, while the Grappler seems to have just emerged from the sinkhole in the final act. This may be a helmet that helps them see better after just stepping into daylight. *Another Drone variant was set to appear in Gears of War named the Locust Hunter. Armed with a Torque Bow, it was eventually scrapped in favor of the Grenadier, and the Torque Bow was given to the Theron Guard. *It is possible that the reason many Drones wear goggles or visors is because of their subterranean evolution, in the same manner that all Locust humanoid species are albino due to lack of sunlight. Drones engaging in battle on the surface of Sera would most likley be deterred by the rays of the sun and thus wear protective goggles. Although this theory does not account for Drones wearing goggles encountered in the Hollow or for some Drone units without goggles on the surface (the latter may be accounted for variety amongst individuals). *Often referred to as "grubs" by COG soldiers. *All Drones have the Locust emblem branded into their right shoulders. *Cyclops are the only drone that have a slightly different head model to the orignal drones. *In Aspho Fields the book Hoffman mentioned to Tai that they bred by tying the beserkers down and then "raping" them. this would either be speculation or traumatic on Hoffmans part References Category:Locust Horde